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For Archie fans, character's death makes an impact

Published on NewsOK
Modified: July 14, 2014 at 7:20 pm •
Published: July 14, 2014

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — For the fans of Archie Andrews, his impending death marks a fitting end for the famous comic book do-gooder.

The 73-year-old red-headed character will die in Wednesday's installment of "Life with Archie" when he intervenes in an assassination attempt on senator Kevin Keller, Archie Comics' first openly gay character who is pushing for more gun control in Riverdale. Archie's death — but not the circumstances — was first announced in April and will mark the conclusion of the series that focuses on grown-up renditions of Archie and his pals.

This photo provided by Archie Comics shows Archie in his final moments of life in a scene from the comic book, "Life with Archie," issue 36. Archie Andrews will die taking a bullet for his gay best friend. The famous freckle-faced comic book icon will die in the July 16, 2014 installment of "Life with Archie" while intervening in the assassination of Kevin Keller, Archie Comics' first openly gay character. (AP Photo/Archie Comics)

"Not to be too grandiose, but this demise is a fitting and tonally perfect tribute to a character who has always put his friends first," said Chris Cummins, who writes about comic culture for DenOfGeek.us. "This is a publicity stunt for sure, but one with heart that will have permanent ramifications."

Archie's final moments will be detailed in "Life with Archie" No. 36, while issue No. 37 will jump forward a year and focus on Riverdale honoring the legacy of their freckle-faced pal, who first appeared in comics in 1941 and went on to become a colorful icon of Americana and wholesomeness. Other incarnations of Archie will continue to live on in other Archie Comics series.

"We wanted to not only grab people's attention but really show the heroic nature of the character," said Archie Comics publishers and co-CEO Jon Goldwater. "He's willing to literally die to save his friend, Kevin. Archie would have died to save any of his friends. I think Archie would've even died to save a stranger."

In recent years, deaths of high-profile comic book characters like Peter "Spider-Man" Parker and Steve "Captain America" Rogers have made headlines and garnered intense reaction from fans. Goldwater notes Archie's passing goes beyond that with a lesson about gun violence and a declaration of diversity in the new age of Archie Comics.

"Archie is not a superhero like all the rest of the comic book characters," said Goldwater. "He's human. He's a person. When you wound him, he bleeds. He knows that. If anything, I think his death is more impactful because of that. We hope by showing how something so violent can happen to Archie, that we can — in some way — learn from him."

Kevin first joined Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones and Reggie Mantle in Archie Comics in 2010. He later appeared in his own solo title. In "Life with Archie," he's a married military veteran and newly elected senator who's pushing for the gun control after his husband was involved in a shooting.